An early and lengthy project responding to a typology brief. The aim being to gather images that showed the connectedness both of the subjects - family/friends etc., as well as the disconnect associated with that of the stranger and the estranged. What I wanted to elicit was the sense that I, as photographer, was the keystone holding positions of both the connected and unconnected to all subjects. I was at once - involved, but not.

Although the project suceeded to some extent I think the series works better not as a typology which restrains it somewhat, it stands better as a series exploring the connectedness to and of the subjects and the detached space the photographer inevitable abides, regardless of any familial, friendly or romantic connections or not.

"My thoughts on creating a self-published book using typologies as an approach, initially baffled me, mostly because my personal work is reflective in nature. I use my work as a means to explore emotions and past experiences in a way that gives meaning to who I am and of finding my place in the world. As a consequence, I was unsure how a typology might fit into my way of working. I had decided some time back, that I wanted to explore further the feelings of unfullfilled longing (for friendship) and detachment (borne of past experiences). I had an a image which I’d taken a while back of a friend, a shot of him walking away from me on a street, the image resonates on a level I’d not anticipated when I had originally taken it. Whether it was a subconscious urge to capture this moment of parting I cannot say with certainty. However, it conjures up all the the emotion of someone I care about, moving away from me, turning their back, being left…left behind. It also represents my own tendencies to detach , to keep people at a distance for fear of getting too close. This image and what it stands for, evolved into my concept for this typology, that of relationships , relationships of people I know and those I do not; where I am involved...but not. The view from behind, a way of reinforcing this detachment both as participant and as a photographer." WF